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Ambrose Bierce Quotes about Philosophy

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REALITY, n. The dream of a mad philosopher. That which would remain in the cupel if one should assay a phantom. The nucleus of a vacuum.

REALITY, n. The dream of a mad philosopher. That which would remain in the cupel if one should assay a phantom. The nucleus of a vacuum.

Ambrose Bierce
Dream, Philosophy, Reality
Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.177, 谷月社

POSITIVISM- A philosophy that denies our knowledge of the Real and affirms our ignorance of the Apparent. Its longest exponent is Comte, its broadest Mill and its thickest Spencer.

Ambrose Bierce
Philosophy, Real, Ignorance
Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.167, 谷月社

RUBBISH, n. Worthless matter, such as the religions, philosophies, literatures, arts and sciences of the tribes infesting the regions lying due south from Boreaplas.

Ambrose Bierce
Art, Philosophy, Lying
Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2504, Delphi Classics

When lost in a forest go always down hill. When lost in a philosophy or doctrine go upward.

Ambrose Bierce
Philosophy, Doctrine, Forests
Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2692, Delphi Classics

Philosophy: A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Ambrose Bierce
Leadership, Philosophy, Math
Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.181, University of Georgia Press

An ingenious compound of desirability and appearance. Discovery of truth is the sole purpose of philosophy, which is the most ancient occupation of the human mind and has a fair prospect of existing with increasing activity to the end of time.

Ambrose Bierce
Time, Truth, Philosophy
Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.226, 谷月社

NEWTONIAN, Pertaining to a philosophy of the universe invented by Newton, who discovered that an apple will fall to the ground, but was unable to say why. His successors and disciples have advanced so far as to be able to say when.

Ambrose Bierce
Philosophy, Fall, Science
Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.149, 谷月社

Immoral: Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes to be considered wrong, wicked, immoral. If mans notions of right and wrong have any other basis than this of expediency; if they originated, or could have originated, in any other way; if actions have in themselves a moral character apart from and nowise dependent on, their consequences-then all philosophy is a lie and reason a disorder of the mind.

Ambrose Bierce
Running, Lying, Philosophy
Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.98, 谷月社

PERIPATETIC, adj. Walking about. Relating to the philosophy of Aristotle, who, while expounding it, moved from place to place in order to avoid his pupil's objections. A needless precaution - they knew no more of the matter than he.

Ambrose Bierce
Philosophy, Order, Matter
Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.161, 谷月社

PLATONIC, adj. Pertaining to the philosophy of Socrates. Platonic Love is a fool's name for the affection between a disability and a frost.

Ambrose Bierce
Love, Philosophy, Names
Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.165, 谷月社

PYRRHONISM- An ancient philosophy, named for its inventor. It consisted of an absolute disbelief in everything but Pyrrhonism. Its modern professors have added that.

Ambrose Bierce
Philosophy, Ancient, Modern
Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.173, 谷月社

PESSIMISM- philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile.

Ambrose Bierce
Hope, Philosophy, Pessimism
Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.93, Courier Corporation

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